1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to multi-purpose wheeled utility vehicles and, more particularly, is concerned with a utility cart having an auxiliary support carriage adapted to support the cart in a freestanding, upturned nonhauling position for facilitating conversion thereof between erected and folded conditions and transport of the upturned folded cart to and from a storage location.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lawn and garden work and general maintenance activities of the average homeowner frequently requires the use of a multipurpose manually-powered utility vehicle for hauling a variety of things. Over the years the ordinary wheelbarrow, with its shallow flared box supported by a single front wheel and two back legs, has served this function well. However, in the past decade or so there has been a trend toward use of the utility cart, with its deeper rectangular box supported by a pair of side wheels and back legs, as a substitute for or at least a supplement to the wheelbarrow.
Notwithstanding this growing recognition of the two-wheeled utility cart's superiority over the wheelbarrow as the more versatile hauling vehicle, the same major drawback that has plagued the wheelbarrow for years has dampen the acceptability of the utility cart as a viable alternative to the wheelbarrow. That drawback is the substantial amount of space required by the cart for storage when not in use. Most of the storage space in residential garages and yard sheds is occupied already by higher priority items such as the automobile, lawn mower, snow blower, bicycle, tricycle, and lawn and garden tools. Therefore, the homeowner's decision of whether to purchase a utility cart might very likely hinge on whether enough storage space remains unused.
One approach to easing the homeowner's dilemma is to make the utility cart collapsible or foldable so that when not in use it can be stored in a smaller space. Many different collapsible or foldable carts, trailers or other types of wheeled vehicles appear in the prior art. Representative of the prior patent art are the two-wheeled vehicles disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Wissler (4,253,677), Rear et al (2,879,072), Kerr et al (2,469,506), Krna (1,128,333), Lyons (908,472), Boston (2,970,846), Seyforth (2,767,996) and Quist (2,657,069).
However, conversion of prior art carts between erected and folded conditions would appear to require the concurrent performance of a number of difficult and awkward steps, for instance, tilting and balancing the vehicle on edge unsupported by its wheels while attemping to fold or erect its various components. Also, prior art designs have not provided an effective way of reducing the user's burden in moving the folded vehicle to and from the storage location. Most designs assume that the user will carry the folded cart or slide it across the ground. For those users who either lack the strength to carry the cart or would prefer not to risk damage to the cart by sliding it, the prior art designs thus have major shortcomings.
Consequently, it is readily apparent that a need still exists for a readily foldable utility cart design wherein the folding and erecting of the cart and transporting of the folded cart to and from a storage location is simple and easy, requiring only the minimal amount of strength that would be possessed by a wide cross-section of users.